Falling Apart
by T.S. Atlas
Summary: Yordles aren't meant to be alone, because if they were, well, Veigar knows the story all too well. She wanted him as a friend, but the more she sees, the harder it gets for her, the heavier her heart becomes, until everything just feels like its falling apart.
1. Chapter 1

Falling Apart

**A/N **Hello everyone, I do hope you enjoy this story. I wanted to make a more deep and serious, somewhat weighted story to my favorite pairing rather than just a fluff shipping of them. That said, it will be uploaded in chapters rather than as one long entry, so, I hope you will be excited for future chapters after reading this one. Thank you.

Chapter 1

Veigar was different from most yordles, but, in Lulu's eyes, that just what made him special. He wasn't friendly, he wasn't nice, and he was dark and evil. For someone of his size, however, no one took him seriously. And yet, no one would deny how powerful he was. But what they saw wasn't even the surface of the Tiny Master of Evil. Lulu saw him, all of him.

She remembered first meeting him. She had heard so many people talk about him, and, needless to say, it interested her. The curious yordle that she was, she couldn't wait to meet this "evil" yordle. At first, it was just a glimpse. She heard much of him, but, never saw him at first. He was not a popular champion; he was not called to the rift often, at least, not as often as she. She never had the opportunity to meet him, but when he did take to the rift, he made ripples. Whether it be his allies or his enemies, all had much to say about the sorcerer. They called him a mad man. They talked of his power, how he was able to literally pop anyone that crossed his path, that all it took was one glance and the enemy was literally obliterated. They also talked of his personality, that is to say, how annoying they found him. His madness, his constant yapping of world domination; truly, he had no allies. His teammates didn't want him, as did their enemies.

She viewed him from the corner of her eye, and at first, she couldn't believe it. She knew only of what others told her about him, and never did he leave his room for any other reason other than to go to the rift. She heard that he would lock himself in his chambers, reading tomes of ancient languages long forgotten, learning old, dark magic. He wouldn't even come out to eat. She never saw him, but all it took was that fleeting glance and she knew who the figure was. At the time, she was speaking with others, champions that she saw as friends, marksmen who commended her supporting, but to see the figure of a yordle, garbed in blue robes with a sorcerer's cap, she all but bolted from the small group she was a part of.

She ran the distance of the hallway, on towards the yordle known as Veigar. She rounded the corner, leading into another corridor, and there, in the middle of the hall about to enter a door, was a yordle, slightly taller than her, the high collar of his robes with the large cap he wore obscured his face, leaving nothing to be seen of him but glowing yellow eyes. "Veigar!" she called out, running toward him. Veigar turned at hearing his name being called, only to be greeted by the sight of a purple yordle girl that he didn't know approach him hurriedly. Unfortunately, she was a little too hurried and couldn't slow herself down in time, a problem that is somewhat common for Lulu.

She crashed into him, and so, they both fell to the floor of the hallway. Lulu picked herself up, sitting atop of him laughing. "You're real!" she exclaimed cheerfully, "You're Veigar!" Veigar, below her, cursed as began to message his temples. His hair was dark, a shade of midnight blue, so dark it looked almost black, and his eyes were an eerie yellow glowing softly. His ears twitched as she spoke. "Hi! I'm Lulu! Pleased to me-"But before Lulu could finish her introduction, Veigar lifted a gauntleted hand to her shoulder and shoved her off of him. Grumbling curses, he got to his feet and picked up his cap from the floor. "Hey!"

He threw open the door to his chambers, but hearing her voice, a yordles voice, high and childish, his ears twitched in annoyance. He turned swiftly to her, his eyes glaring like fire. His voice was as high a pitch as hers, possibly even higher, as he yelled at Lulu, still on the ground. "Leave me be, girl! Do not approach me again, or else!" He slammed the door in her face as she started to her feet, the door making such a loud bang as it was shut with such force that she was scared and fell back to the floor.

He wasn't a yordle, she thought, no way such a person could be yordle. Yordles weren't like that, not rude and mean, but, she was told that's what he was, so, she all but expected this behavior. But the aura he gave off, the weight of the air around him, the way light seemed to dim in his presence and the way his eyes looked to be filled with animosity and madness. If Veigar truly was a yordle, he was a yordle only in name and stature.

At first, she was disbelieving of what had happened. She pouted, a bit upset. All she wanted was to befriend this strange yordle. She had heard much of him, but it only interested her, she never imagined that he would act such way to his own kind. She got to her feet, dusted herself off, and walked away.

Before she knew it, she was in her room, atop her bed and wrapped in a warm blanket. But she didn't feel warm. It was a strange feeling for Lulu, being sad, not being happy. The last time she felt like this, she had just come from the Glade with Pix, only to find that a long time had passed. Such a long time, that everyone she knew was already gone. Her friends, her family, all of them, dead, all the while she was messing around in some wonderland where nothing is what it was and everything was nothing it should be. She lived, and that was all she knew. She couldn't go back in time. She had only to go on, and so, she smiled, and she made friends, and she laughed and played. She had to. She couldn't stop, couldn't stop running, or else the past would catch up to her. And if it caught her, she would break. She just knew it.

And then she felt them, the tears streaming down her face. She felt Pix, her fae companion, land on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She was thankful to have him, at least, but, she couldn't help but to cry. She would laugh and smile, she would look as if she was beaming with happiness, but she only felt like she was falling apart. She wanted him as a friend; truly she did, but to have been so forcefully rejected. She felt unwanted. What would she do if others didn't want her? She would have no one, no one but Pix. For a while, she thought that all she needed was Pix, but it became clear that she needed someone more than as a companion.

"We aren't meant to be alone…"

She drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Falling Apart

Chapter 2

When she awoke, the night sky greeted her from outside the window. She sat up quietly. Pix was curled up at the foot of her bed, asleep. She felt the dried trails of tears upon her face, but, she did nothing of them. She was captivated by what awaited out of her window. The night sky never looked so beautiful. From where she sat, the stars seemed to dance. The light they radiated was colored and seemed to bleed in the sky, leaving a collage of spectrum beauty. The dark purples, light oranges, white lights and radiated twilights all just seemed to bleed together into a river they flooded the sky. The cosmos seemed to explode.

She looked in awe, and yet, there was a heavy feeling in her chest. She got up from her bed and walking as silent as a mouse as she traversed the numerous halls of the institute. She soon found herself outside, only to see the beauty of the night sky spread even further. The river of color expanded into an ocean, and the night sky displayed no darkness, just light. She stood in the grassy field outside the institute, just staring into the sky, tantalized by its other-worldly holiness. And then she saw a star sparkling in the sky, as if it were a diamond, changing colors. But unlike the sky, it changed from light to darkness; the bright white light of the star turned into a burning pink until it was a hot crimson that seared the very star itself, turning it as black as jet, and yet it still shined.

The star seemed to grow larger, but it was then that her eyes grew large. It was falling, the star was plummeting, a trail of black light following it as it neared ever closer. It struck the earth, sending a tremor through the ground that knocked Lulu off of her feet. She hurriedly recovered, getting back on her feet. The star fell, but not near her. And yet, the trail of black smoke still hung in the air. The star fell, but it was close, she just had to follow the smoke, she realized.

And so she ran across the field as fast as her legs would carry her, and once she reached the other side, she scaled the ridge of hills so that she may see it. But what she saw left her with a sense of disbelief. In the plain below, the grasses were burnt with many patches still aflame, and the smoke poured into the air from a massive crater in the earth.

She stared, a mix sense of shock and awe filled her and made her body numb. The hole in the earth was as impressive as the institute itself, but to be sure, she had to turn around, peer across the field, over the large distance that she ran and realized something. The crater, this destruction, was even more sizable the institute. She was at least three mile away, and yet, even taking that into consideration, there was no doubt in her mind what would've been left of the institute should the star have fallen on it. She looked to the blackened field, into the abyss that steamed darkness into the fading light of the night sky. Nothing. Nothing would have remained.

And yet, looking over the nothingness left, she did see something, something moving amongst the scorched earth. There was something there. Without thinking, she hurried down the hill side, the soft grass beneath her feet changing from green to a charred black that crunched beneath her feet with every step. But she saw it, the figure, lying where the scorched remnant of earth ended and the endless pit had begun, just before the impact. Her small legs screamed with pain from all the running, and her chest felt hot, her lungs struggling to breathe, but she paid them no mind. She saw someone down there, and they were moving! They were alive! She came this far, and so she continued just as quickly as she could. Someone was there, she thought, someone needs help!

She ran because no one else would. They were far from the institute; no one would be here for them, not for a while. No one was here. They were alone. She had to be there for them because no one else would. She had to be there before it became too late.

She ran, coming before the figure, falling to her knees, trying to catch her breath, but then she saw him and she nearly lost it all again in a gasp. The figure was that of Veigar, the yordle in his blue cloaks and hat lay, struggling, trying to hold onto the last bit of strength he had. He was struggling to get up, propping himself up with trembling arms, only to spit up blood before collapsing again. He was at the end of his wit. He didn't even know she was there. He couldn't see. The world was fleeting from his vision as he started to drift into unconsciousness. He didn't see her, didn't hear her scream his name as loud as she could. He was alone.

The tears started once more. There was a tightness in her heart, one that Lulu could not understand. It was him, it was Veigar. The one who made her cry, the one that yelled at her and was mean. She wanted to be friends with him, and he ended that notion very quickly. But when she looked up, there was no one coming from over the ridge. There was no one. He was out here alone. She had to help him, just had to. He was hated, frowned upon, looked down on. Would someone help him, even if he wasn't alone?

She remembered everyone else, all her friends, all the people at the league that she had met. She called them friends, and she smiled and laughed, but she did not feel a closeness to them. If Veigar was a yordle only in name, then they were friends just the same; only in name. She wanted friends, she wanted to be happy, but a fake smile only hurts oneself. Above anything else, she didn't want to be alone. She made herself smile, made herself seem happy. Veigar made her fear that no one would want her, that others will think she was annoying, but truly, she was the one that started it, by being Lulu, the happy yordle everyone thought she was. She wanted to be accepted, but were they really accepting her? She never shared the pain she felt after exiting the Glade with anyone. She wanted to be happy, so she surrounded herself with people and acted cheery, but, why did she feel so alone?

Veigar was truthful to himself. He didn't act mad, he made no lies of the threats he made, and the crater before them both proved that he spoke truly. He was hated, and he didn't care, he was alone so he cut himself from the rest of the world. Veigar was Veigar, but who was Lulu? Was she the shining example of a yordle that everyone knew her as, or was she a girl, filled with fear and doubt and longing. She didn't know anymore. She had lied to herself for so long that she actually began to believe herself when she said that she would be alright.

She looked at the crater. This is what Veigar was capable of, she realized, this is his potential. He was small, he was a yordle, but none of that mattered, not now. What he could accomplish. What he was. People looked down on him. They never knew who he was. They have never seen this. They haven't seen what Lulu has seen here today. But what if they did? Would they fear him? She looked down at him, unable to stop crying. Would they even help him? Would they help the poor yordle who lay here dying?

"We aren't meant to be alone."

But that's exactly what they were. She didn't care if he hated her, if he didn't want her. Lulu wanted to be there for Veigar, no matter what. She was tired of being alone, of hurting, of being fearful. She knew nothing of Veigar, nothing of who he is, but she knew something. He was like her. Alone. Broken.


	3. Chapter 3

Falling Apart

Chapter 3

He heard the clanging of the metal door as it opened, the light that seeped in was blinding. He had grown used to it, though. He slept in the corner of the damp room, facing the wall so as to not be hurt by the light. The light itself was nothing more than torchlight, and yet, his eyes had grown so accustomed to the dark that they were now sensitive to light. He heard as the turnkey threw his meal into his cell, the tray clanging against the stone, and then he was gone, the inner working of the door rattled, sealing him away in this windowless room. They wouldn't even speak to him. Maybe it was for the best. He kept his eyes closed. He hadn't the strength to so much as open them.

He remembered when he found himself here, in this cell, convicted of a crime that was pushed upon him. The memories came as a nightmare. But then again, they were one in the same. He was a nobody, just a yordle from Bandle City, alone in the world trying to make something of himself. He always dreamed of leaving, of discovering what the outside world had in store for him. But then they took him, threw him in a windowless cell, damp and disgusting. The room was completely stone, and in many spaces, a dark red color stained the stone. That first night, he added to their color.

His hands chained above his head, he faced the wall of his cell. They used a whip, leather with a metal razor at the end, mercilessly flaying him, laughing at his screams and torment, and as he pleaded for mercy, they had nothing to say to him, nothing decent. They didn't treat him like a person, like a yordle, like a prisoner, even. They treated him as a something more lowly than dirt. He lay in his own blood that night, feeling the warmth escape from his body. But that wasn't the end of his torment. Every day, the same punishment, everyday, they would laugh and spit on him, everyday beat him. Once, he tried begging. On the floor, his ribs broken, he reached out, grabbing at one of his tormentors feet, asking through tears and blood for an end to the pain. He responded by breaking his hands.

He was given no treatment. His body was covered in scars; his skin had turned a milky white from lack of sun. His hair was thin and rough as straw, and his small body seemed to shrink even further. He was nothing but skin and bones, and his hands had healed only to become mangled instruments for him to shovel what little food they gave him into his mouth. He was a mess. They gave him no bucket, and his clothes, so tattered and ripped from lashings, had all but become scrap cloth. He was naked and scared.

Then he heard him, the other him. A voice with no body, in his head talking to him, and yet the voice did not belong to him. The voice was hostile, and while the tormentors further destroyed his body, the voice within him destroyed his spirit. "You are pitiable!" it would say, "Disgraceful! Die already! Worthless! Why do you go on! You've nothing!" The voice was as relentless as his jailors, and yet, there was an end to it all. The day he died.

There was nothing of the yordle, just a husk. His eyes became heavy and clouded; his body even heavier. He couldn't make himself move, he was powerless. When they had come to him, they took a blade and slid it across his face, leaving an ugly scar that ranged from his forehead under his left eye and onto his cheek. He looked them in the eye, and he said nothing, screamed no more. There was no more pain. His felt cold; he felt nothing. He heard them, and although they stood above him, they sounded far away. Still he lives, they had said, and yet, he felt so dead. That day, they took the torch from his cell.

The abyss he lived in was something more hellish than what they had subjugated him to. The pain stopped, the torture, but so too did the voice within him. He could not tell if he was asleep or not, but all he did was lay there in the dark. Whether his eyes were open or closed, there was nothing but darkness; and whether he was unconscious or not, he felt nothing.

His eyes closed, or, at least he felt them close, and he felt a wave rush over him, its waters so cold that it stung, and his body ached in a pleasant way. He could feel the warmth of his body becoming one with his surroundings as he slowly drifted beneath the waves, his warmth slowly dissipating, but as the cold swept in, it found its place easily. It felt like this was supposed to happen, like it was normal. He felt himself letting go.

"YOU FOOL!"

The voice. After so long, the voice returned. "LIVE!" it shouted, and so he was grabbed from the cool waves of death and brought back to his cell. He spied the tray in the middle of the room, rats already eating at his meal, and yet, he put a hand forward, and then another, and slowly he pulled himself across the floor. No, it wasn't him who did that, it wasn't him who placed the food in his mouth and made him swallow, it wasn't him who gave him the strength to live. It was the voice, the other him within.

He lay in his corner, the voice quiet once again. He felt alert, or at least, as much as he ever felt alert before. He could hear the rats prattling across the stone floor, and yet, all it did was make him smile. Eventually, they found themselves near him, and he spoke, his voice raspy and weak. How long had it been since he last spoke? He smiled. These rats were all he had. He spoke to them, called them his friends. He closed him eyes, sleep taking over him, only to awaken to feel the fur of rats bundled next to him, lying asleep in the corner with him.

He would share his food with the rats, much to the great dismay of what the voice within him, but he kept at it. He would not die, he decided, not in here, He would get out. He was filled with hope, with a warmth long since forgotten. But eventually, the supply stopped. His jailors stopped bringing him meals. Realization struck him hard, shaking his being. They no longer cared. They had left him to starve, to die. Darkness swept back into his heart, the cold he had become familiar with, only now it hurt, hurt the same way in which ice would burn.

"…please…" he pleaded, "…help me…" He was weak, his voice something less than a whisper, a prayer. But no one was there to answer him, not even the voice within. His voice had fallen deaf on the cold stone beneath him. But he felt something, a small warmth. His hand twitched slightly. He felt the warmth, liquid as it ran across his fingers. The rat looked up to him as he twitched, but as his hand stilled, it went back to his flesh, ripping small pieces away, eating him, devouring him, killing him.

He could feel the tears stream down his face, but he felt no sadness. He felt pity, for himself. He was right, he said. His lips tightened in frustration. "I WILL LIVE!" The voice he spoke with did not belong to him, and yet, it did. It was his other self.

The old Veigar died long ago. His hands tightened around the rat, tightened with a strength he didn't know he had. He heard the crunch of bones. They were not his friends, they were rats, vermin. They turned on him like the others did. Yes, in the end, they were all vermin. They were all disgusting creatures. No more. He would live. He will not die. He will see the world like how he always wanted, he shall see it from the top, he will look down at it all, and to all those vermin beneath him. He was thrown in here, but the outside was no better. He left Bandle city only to discover a world at war. Demacia and Noxus, Zaun and Piltover, it didn't matter. Those wars will end. They shall all end under him.

He heard the intricacies of the lock click as the turnkey came to him for one last time…

His eyes opened, the light blinding him. A bright white filled his eyes, and, it took a bit for him to get used to it. He had to squint just so he could see. His hand twitched as he felt a warmth at his fingers. He looked. The fingers of his disfigured hand were entwined with someone else's. He looked to her, a yordle with long purple hair asleep in the chair beside his sickbed. She squirmed. She was having a nightmare, he realized.

He closed his eyes, only to open them and to see that a great time had passed. The white walls had the blue of a bright night sky cast upon them, and when he looked, she was still there, her head now resting on the bed, sound asleep.

He awoke to find himself not alone. And yet, that fact scared him.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N **Hello everyone. First off, I want to apologize for my hiatus. Have been going through much in life, as we all tend to do, and have found it difficult to write. I have been trying desperately with little success, and, to be honest, I am not proud of this chapter as much as I am with the previous ones. I wanted to upload something, and really, this isn't much. It is short, but, it does provide some aspects to the plot. For where this story is heading, I do have to say, I am looking to finish this in the next two chapters. I have always planned on making this a short story, and, this decision is not in any way influenced by my recent problems. I am sorry for keeping you all waiting, but, I do hope that you will enjoy what is to follow. Thank you to all still with me, to all those following and leaving reviews, this is for you. I will try my best to provide the quality of story that you deserve.

Falling Apart

Chapter 4

"He has become too dangerous. He must be put down." The voice was small, yet in the hall, it boomed off the walls, becoming loud. It was the voice of a yordle, but there was weight to it.

Another voice replied to the first. "But, the institute won't allow it. Such actions have been banned, there is only the Fields of Justice."

"Yes," the other voice responded, "but we are not at war, not yet. We cannot allow him to grow any stronger, else everyone, not just the Mothership, shall be in danger. This is your mission, scout. Be swift, end it, and make there be no evidence of the crime. The institute must not know. For the fate of us all, we leave it to you, Teemo."

* * *

She ran as fast as she could, running through the great halls of the institute. The institute was massive, and its many halls made it seem like a labyrinth to those not knowing where to go. She had been there only once, seen him enter his room the one time, but every door looked the same, and all the halls shared this trait. But then, she found it, found Veigar's room. There was some spittle of blood upon the carpeted floors of the hall, and although it was a small amount, the drops where enough to set her in a craze. He was close, this hall, maybe. He was still hurt, she needed to find him. No one would have noticed those dots of red on the floor, no one but her.

She found more drips in the hallway, but no definitive mark to show which of the rooms was his. Is it this one? No, this is too close. His was near the end of the hall. This one, perhaps? No, he was near the end, but he wasn't in the last rooms here. This one? She asked herself over and over, again for each door. But then she stopped. It was as if she knew it was this door, but then, she heard it, she heard the cries of pain. It was him, it was Veigar. It couldn't be anyone else, she knew. She felt her heart skip a beat.

She walked up to his door, slowly. The doors of the institute were grand. Everything about the institute was grand, in a way, but to a yordle like Lulu, the door looked even taller. It was at least ten feet tall, mighty and heavy. She was small, and weak, and the door before her seemed menacing. He was in there, behind such door, but this is the door he threw closed, the door he slammed shut on her. Her door was the same, but for some reason, standing before it here, she couldn't bring herself to open it. She was scared. What if Veigar didn't want her? What if he threw the door shut once again, like he did before when all she wanted was to meet him. She didn't want to hurt, not anymore, but, she needed to see him. Her chest tightened, and each beat of her heart hurt more and more. Her body felt heavy.

She pressed her ear to the door. How thick it was, and yet, she could still hear his cries of pain. He was damaged, broken, and it was all his own doing. She wanted to be there for him, to hold him. There was a time where she had no one, and many times, she still felt that loneliness. She didn't want him to feel that. How could she stand there, doing nothing, when she knew exactly what it felt to be alone? She wanted to be there for him, be with him, and show him that you didn't have to be alone. She didn't know why he chose to be alone. She thought he was strong, he pushed everyone else away, that he didn't _need_ anyone. But hearing him now, she knew that she was wrong. He needs someone, but, he doesn't know it.

"Veigar…what happened to you…why are you like this…please…tell me…please…open up for me…" Tears streamed down her cheek. Her whispers went unanswered. She can't help him, she realized. She was weak. She had to get stronger, stronger so she could be there to help him, so she could make a difference, so she could do what was right. Lulu wanted to show Veigar that they weren't meant to be alone. She lied, hid behind a smile, saying everything will be alright, and he hid in solitude, but really, they both were alone. She needed him, someone to tether her to this world, the world she once left behind. He has gone through so much, she could tell, he never held his tongue, he was wicked and rude, but, he was _real. _

And he. He didn't know what he wanted. He wanted revenge for all the wrong that was done to him. He probably didn't even know that what he needed was someone. Veigar saw only the darkness, the terrible and evil of this world. He needed someone to teach him the good and the light. He didn't know it, but he needed Lulu.

And Lulu needed Veigar.


	5. Chapter 5

Falling Apart

Chapter 5

She had to get stronger, for herself, and for Veigar. Lulu knew that, and even though she never wanted to, she made herself go to the Fields of Justice whenever she was summoned and did her best in all her matches. She won some, lost some, but in all of her matches, she struggled. Today was no different. She was tired, her muscles felt sore, and she wanted nothing more than to get some rest. She was pushing herself, but, she didn't mind.

Many others noticed this, however. The carries she supported, the enemies, everyone, really, even those champions that she seldom saw such as those in top lane. The enemy Garen even apologized to her after the match she had today, but, it was her fault she was caught out by him when she should have been with team. But she was learning. She wanted nothing more than to go to her room and cover up with her sheets and just sleep for the rest of the day. But she wouldn't allow herself to do that.

It had been a little over a month since she saw Veigar. He was in a bad shape. Then one day, he disappeared back into his room, not coming out since. She was concerned, of course, but she realized she needed to resume her duties as a champion, to go back out to the Fields, but that didn't stop her from attempting to see him. It became a sort of ritual for her. At the end of each day, when she felt sore and tired, she visited him. People were already making notes of her, how withdrawn she had become, how her smile wasn't as big as it had been and how she didn't shine anymore. But when people asked her what was wrong, had something happened, she said nothing. She knew what they all thought of Veigar, she knew they would never understand how she felt, and she knew they would never understand Veigar.

The hallways that were once a maze to her proved no problems to her now. She remembered where his room was, turning here and there, walking down this hallway and that, and she always found herself before his door. Today, Lulu was surprised to see something stand out in the otherwise uniform hallway. Before his room was a small basket, filled with sweets. It made Lulu smile to think that someone else cared. There was a small bounce to her step as she hurried down the hallway to his door. She stood before it, as she had come to do, and knocked gently.

"Veigar?" Her voice was sweet and gingerly and as small as she, with a faint smile upon her lips. "I hope you are alright, Veigar. I went to the Fields, today. I made a lot of mistakes, but, I also did a lot of good things. We won, but only just…I wish I could see you…" She rubbed her eyes, trying hard to not let the tears fall. She really was weak, she thought. All she could do was stand here. But since it was all that she could do, she did exactly that. She smiled for him, even if he couldn't see her.

"I'm right here if you ever need anything, okay?" She sat herself across from his door, leaning against the pearly white wall, her sore muscles screaming. Usually it was here, just before his door, where she would close her eyes for a short while and take a nap after the long day, but, something kept her from resting. She wore a large grin, an honest smile. She couldn't remember the last time she smiled so genuinely. She changed so much since she had joined the League. She wondered what Veigar was like before the League? Who was he then, and really, who is he now? What will he become?

She felt something in her chest, a warmth she could only describe as 'fluffy'. She tried leaving things for Veigar before, only to return the next day to find them untouched. She reached forward, grabbing the basket of sweets. Veigar wouldn't bother with another person's kind gesture, she knew, just as he didn't bother with hers. She would instead enjoy them for him. "Thank you," she said to no one in particular, taking a sweet smelling cupcake from the top of the basket. It smelled of vanilla and honey, and tasted even sweeter, she found as she took a small nibble out of it.

She enjoyed it, small bite after small bite, looking within the basket at what else was meant for Veigar. She was excited to find a letter. He would not care at all for the gifts, but to Lulu, it meant a lot. She opened the letter, its parchment purple, to find the name of the sender so she would be sure to thank them on his behalf. At the bottom of the parchment, preceded by "Love" was her own name, "Lulu."

Just then, nothing felt right. The warmth in her chest turned to a burning sensation as her heart beat out in pain. She dropped the cupcake and the letter, her hands finding their way to her throat as she felt it close on her. She couldn't breathe. "…Vei…gar…" Her head swam dizzily as her eyes grew heavy, and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't stop the tears from falling. That's how she would die. Crying, and alone.

She always wanted to be strong. She was tired of crying, tired of not being able to see the beauty of the world because she was always blinding by her own tears. She tried to be strong. She tried to pick up the fallen pieces. She was scared of being alone, so, she tried not to, tried to be with people. And here, before his room, the door, so big and intimidating, remained shut. And she was alone.

But then, she heard it, the creaking of the massive door, opening slowly. Within, the room was as black as night, and yet, someone peered at her, lying there on the floor. A yellow eye, belonging to some poor creature who had not seen the light of day in years. She was able to see the eerie yellow that glowed in the dark chambers and cut through the black and her tears. She raised her hand, reaching out towards him, towards Veigar.

And smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

Falling Apart

Chapter 6

"Pix…please…not you too…please…I…I thought we were friends…don't leave me…please…Pix…please…"

"You've failed, scout." Teemo stood still, saying nothing as his superior sat upon his seat above the Yordle. This Teemo was different, he was serious and dark, the side of him only his enemies have seen. His hands were clenched into tight fists. He did fail, it was all his fault, he knew. "What have you to say of this?" No amount of excuses would justify it, he knew. He was a yordle, he was always seen as nothing more, but he was also a soldier, a scout, an operative of the Mothership.

"Veigar is very cautious, he never leaves his room, and so, a subtle plan felt the most effective"

"Well, it certainly was effective, only, not on the target. You have not only failed at eliminating Veigar, but you have also hurt an innocent. This creates new problems that we must deal with before the institute learns of our plan. What have you to say of this?"

"I have no excuses, sir." Teemo clenched his hands into tight fists.

The leader of the Mothership simply nodded. "You are the most able fit to this task, however, you shall not work alone on this mission, scout. There is another, someone with the ability to take care of what is needed of her, however, this individual does not have the gift that you do, to flip the switch and do what must be done. This task is important for all of Yordle kind. No, it goes well beyond us, beyond Bandle City, beyond the Mothership. In truth, his wishes are to bring the world to its knees. You must not allow that to happen."

And so, Teemo took to the task, now with assistance from a certain Megling Commando.

He thumbed the page, turning it without care despite its state. Most of the Institute's tomes were old, falling apart, but that mattered little to him. His eyes pierced the darkness, and with them, he read the ancient runes on the rotting pages, taking all he could from them. The scripts of many of the books were written in olden languages, runes that could not be deciphered by anyone, and yet, he did not need to learn the words, just understand what they said. They tomes, heavy and as large as they were, littered his black room, all of them opened on this page or that. He could not read them, yet by looking at the words, he could feel the power, feel the magic inscribed in their names. He turned the page.

His room was dark, as it always was. Not that there was much to look at, he knew. He was never really fond of light, and when his candles burned out, he could not be bothered to find some more. Instead, he preferred the solemn dark. Upon his gauntleted hands he could see the reflection of his eyes, burning a bright yellow in the dark, and that was all that could be seen of him. Not that he would want to see himself anyway. When he did go out, his robes usually covered most of him, save for his eyes. He found some comfort in them, in a way, of being obscured.

"Pix…"

He turned to the origin of the moaning, a purple haired yordle girl. He found her outside his door, the same annoying yordle that ran into him, and yet, the same one who gave him assistance. She lies dying outside his door when he found her. Truth be told, he knew not why he took her in, but now, he could see her, squirming on his bed in the midst of a nightmare. He looked to her. He didn't feel bad, he wasn't worried of her, he gave her the medicine to nullify the poison she ingested, but rather, he looked at her as a nuisance. He was trying to read, trying to learn.

Maybe he should have left her outside. But she helped him. More than that, she took the bullet that was meant for him. Someone wanted him dead. In a way, that was bad, but he could not help but to smile cynically. He must be doing something right, as the Master of Evil, to invoke someone to attempt an assassination. It mattered not who it was, however, for very soon, all would feel his scorn.

His smile only grew bigger. But the yordle girl started moaning again, tossing and turning, and very quickly, his smile had vanished. She was a problem, or maybe not so much of a problem as an annoyance. He should have just left her out to die, he thought.

She sprang up from bed in a cold sweat. "Pix!" she yelled. "Pix, where are you?" she seemed to call out to no one in particular. She looked around the room in a hurried daze, only for her eyes to meet with his piercing yellow glare and become petrified. Her voice dropped low, almost as if she had whispered his name. "Veigar…"

His eyes narrowed. "Out."

"B-but…" Lulu was finally here, in Veigar's room, she could actually talk to him. But he had nothing to say to her. His yellow eyes, the only thing visible within the dark room, turned from her to someplace else. "Can…can I stay? Just for a bit? I don't feel well…"

He gave a hefty sigh. "No talking," he said, not even bothering to turn to her. Veigar went back to his studies. He had no time for her, no patience. So why did you take her in, a little voice within said.

"Umm…thank you…for your help..." Lulu felt a chill. She wrapped herself tightly into the covers of Veigar's bed and stared at the two yellow orbs of light that were his eyes in this dark world. The yellow glow began to blur within the darkness, however, and soon, it was dissolved within the black, becoming one with the empty world.

"WAKE UP!"

She jutted up from bed once again. When did she fall asleep? She did not know. "Wha-wha-" She struggled to find her words.

"You and your obsessive crying! Out! Now!"

"I-I'm sorry! I…I didn't know! Please, let me stay, just a little longer!"

Veigar's hands tightened into fists. Why don't you just throw her out, a voice said, but he replied to her with a simple gruff, going back once again to his books.

"I'm sorry…" she started, only to be shushed to a silence by Veigar. She sat up in bed. He wasn't looking at her, she knew, and for that she was grateful. She tried her best to keep her sobbing in, but, it would be for not if he could see the tears upon her cheeks. Maybe she was just a nuisance, she thought. "My friend…left me…"

At this, she got a reaction from Veigar, but none she anticipated. He gave a mad cackle. "Then they be no real friend! There are no such things as 'friend' in this disgusting world, only filth, only rodents ready to turn on you at a moment's notice."

She felt her hands tremble. "Is that what happened to you?"

His eyes lifted from his tome, staring right into her own eyes, only his burned furiously. He never raised his voice.

"Out."


	7. Chapter 7

Falling Apart

Chapter 7

Time went on, and with each day, Veigar learned something new, he became stronger. He could feel it. Soon, perhaps, he should test his growth. It has been a while now since he had last seen the night sky. His powers, drawn from the cosmos, from creation and destruction, functioned especially well beneath the night sky. It was as if the stars grew that much brighter when he was present. He could feel the dark powers running through his veins, and he did not doubt that they too, the stars above, could feel him within as well.

It was years and years ago, perhaps so long ago that you could consider it a different lifetime, when he crawled his way out of that cell and found himself across the land and sea. He found them, magicians of the dark arts, and he begged them for their wisdom. "The power of creation and destruction is one that is too great for any man, one that not many should learn, let alone can." He didn't care. He forced himself to learn, twisting his body, deforming him even more, fusing darkness within his skin until it seared his fur black. They had refused him many times, but he always came back. He had nowhere to go.

Was he ready for such a weight, such power? He did not know. Creation, destruction, they meant little to him, for all he wanted was power, power to achieve what he had set out to accomplish. All war would cease, all factions will crumble, the world will stop with its pitiable issues and all of Valoran, which is so divided amongst its many inhabitants, shall unite as one beneath his foot. When he came to them, he was already something less than man or yordle, he was broken, he had nothing, and so, he had no obstacles. His body, already tortured and maimed became forfeit to what he did to himself, and what little of the person who Veigar once was died when he bloodied his hands in his escape. The real Veigar died in that hell, he knew.

But that mattered little to him. The old Veigar was weak, and now, HE was Veigar.

His ears twitched beneath his cap. It seems that he would have a sooner opportunity to display his power than first anticipated. He was being summoned. He closed his eyes, the yellow glow the only light of the room disappeared, and he was in darkness. But when he opened his eyes, he was not within his chambers, but rather, upon the summoning platform of Summoner's Rift. He winced at first, the light of the sun catching his eye. He tipped his cap lower and pulled up his collar more, keeping his eyes within the darkness. His hand tightened around his staff.

"V-Veigar!?"

He heard her, but he did his best to not turn to her, but that mattered not when all she had to do was step before him. Her long purple hair reached to the ground and her emerald eyes went as big as saucers as she looked at him. "It is you!" She clenched her own staff with small hands, not as he did, but rather, out of nervousness.

"I-"

He pushed past her, making her stumble back as he descended the steps of the platform. She would have fallen down those same steps had it not been for a firm hand on her should that helped steady her. Lulu turned to see Tristana. She had a disappointing look on her face, mixed with slight pity. "Lulu, who do you even bother with him?"

"I…I just want to be with him…" Lulu looked down, fidgeting. She raised her eyes to look down the platform, down midlane where she could see Veigar's midnight blue robes flow behind him. She felt her chest tighten. Was it so wrong that she yearned to be by his side?

"What, do you love him or something?"

Lulu pivoted swiftly, her eyes even wider than before, clutching her staff close to her chest. "No!" she replied, and yet, a blush crept upon her cheeks. "I…" She didn't know. She turned once again to midlane. It was a solo lane, and so, there was just him, far off. How long had he been there? How long had he been walking that solitary road of his?

Tristana sighed, patting Lulu on her shoulder, much to her surprise. "Well, keep your head in the match, alright? I am going to need you in lane and help me get to my late game, alright?" Lulu nodded solemnly. "And," Tristana continued, "if you want my advice. You should stay away from Veigar. He's nothing but trouble.

Lulu and Tristana started on towards the bottom lane.

Veigar stood beside his outer tower, rubbing his cramped legs. It was hard enough to be a yordle what with the short legs, but it was even worse when you do little with them. He was not used to walking much since he would spend most of his times in scrolls and tomes, learning and plotting. And, more recently, listening, although, that was unintentional.

Before today, he had thought he had seen the last of the yordle known as Lulu, and yet, even after that encounter, she still came back to his room every day. She would knock lightly on his door, as she would do before, and with a light and tentative voice, speak to him through the door, telling him of her day. How long had it been since he told her to left? Days? Weeks? A month? The darkness knows not of time, he found, and he didn't care enough to count her visits. But after a while, her stories of how her day went had been replaced with stories of herself and her past.

She was carefree, always bubbly, the ideal yordle. But she became filled with lament, she had run away from home, went somewhere whimsical, only to find that she could not return home. She found herself alone in a new world with only a fae as her only friend, the same fae that lured her away from home so long ago.

He didn't care. He didn't want to hear her, but, there was nothing else to listen to but silence. Her words fell upon his ear, and, he didn't bother to tell her to leave once again. He had already told her, there was no reason why she would listen now, he knew, so he had hoped that if he had ignored her, she would tire and leave him to himself. But that did not happen. She could hear her cry on the opposite side of the door, telling him of how Pix, her fae, had left her. She had changed. She wasn't the yordle she once was, apparently. She become "not fun", so, Pix left. She would tell him how she was weak, how she relied on Pix too much, and now, she was alone, but, she would be stronger. Her shields were weaker now without Pix to help and she could only cast one glitterlance at a time rather than in tandem.

Veigar shook his head. He didn't care about her, why would he think of her? She was an annoyance.

The minions marched into lane, going at it with the enemy's own push of the mindless drones. It appears that he would be laning opposite Orianna. That mattered little to him, however, for he was not weak and pathetic as Lulu, for he was strong. No one would be able to stand against him. He flicked his staff at each of the enemy minions, a baleful strike erupting at each of his marks, obliterating the targets. With each he slew, he could feel himself getting stronger. The magic was infused within him. He needed no spells or incantations to draw out his power.

As the Lady of Clockwork tried to harass him with her ball, Veigar simply took the hit and returned one much stronger, and as each of her minions fell, his hits become more and more threatening. She could not afford to so much as attempt to damage him. She took one step too close, and Veigar's yellow eyes darted from minion to champion, a baleful strike was launched at Orianna, and although she had used her shield, his damage shattered it, chunking her down. He felt his cheeks rise beneath his obscurities as he felt a mad and devilish grin spread across his lips. Yes, he was enjoying this.

And now, it was time.


	8. Chapter 8

Falling Apart

Chapter 8

She couldn't stop thinking of Veigar, but, Lulu had to concentrate at what was at hand. Tristana was counting on her, so Lulu had to do her best, but not just for Tristana, but for herself as well. She has been struggling, and, everyone knew that. She couldn't afford to be a burden to anyone.

In lane, they were against a Leona and Vayne. Lulu did what she could, supporting with aggressive behavior as hit the situation, giving Tristana covering fire and allowing her room to breathe and to focus on the minions. Each time Leona approached, Lulu made sure to poke her at range with her basic attacks and glitterlances. As long as she was low, that would mitigate the chance of an engagement by her. It wasn't long, however, before her breathing became strained. Was she tired already? Her grip tightened on her staff.

It was getting harder and harder as time drew on. Her spells were already less effective without Pix's help, but the fact that she was already tired and near out of mana made it that much more difficult. She had no more potions, so, a single mistake could cost her team a kill.

Leona must have seen this on the little Yordle's face. The light of the sun encircled her as she prepared to dive atop of Tristana, and without delay, she used her Zenith Blade onto Tristana, stunning her with her shield. Lulu was too late to stop the engage, but, she could do more than just poke. Tristana was stunned, and Vayne tumbled closer, her eyes set on the kill. Lulu focused Vayne, polymorphing her into a squirrel, and as its duration ran up, Leona's lock down of Tristana did as well, and they disengaged safely.

Back at the fountain, Lulu was panting, sweat covered her brow. She felt as if her chest was about to explode. She felt so tired. She couldn't go on. "Good job, Lulu," Tristana said as she pat Lulu's shoulder. She looked up, only to see Tristana grin at her before returning to bottom lane. Lulu swallowed. She looked towards mid lane, to where Veigar would be. How was he doing?

Lulu hurried after Tristana, casting whimsy on herself before leaving the platform.

They got into lane, however, only to find that their lane opponents were missing. They had pushed the tower and had backed, most likely, she though. At least she had some time to prepare. Lulu hurried into river, planting wards in the brush to their lane, one in the dragon's pit, and another at the off ramp from the enemy jungle where the blue buff was located. And once again, she returned to lane, only to find the enemies missing still. Tristana had gotten to the task of clearing the minion waves with her explosive shots. They finally started pushing the wave out from beneath their tower and more towards the enemies, but something was wrong, something has been wrong for a long time.

The sun caught in Lulu's eyes, and it was as if she could feel her skin begin to crisp as a ray of concentrating sunshine blasted down from above her. She screamed in immense pain, she was blinded. As she rubbed her eyes, she felt the pain of a sword pierce her body, and then, Leona flew to her, shield first, dazing her once again as Vayne unloaded silver bolts into her. She had all the utility she needed to support Tristana, to keep her safe, and they saw this, they focused her rather than Trist.

When Lulu's eyes opened, she was blind, lying upon the platform in base. The pain was gone, as it always did when a champion died within a match, but the disappointment was still there. She was caught out, she died. Tears fell freely, her jaw tightened to not let loose her sobs, but her hands were tightened into trembling fists. She was weak.

Then, it was as if the sky above suddenly went black. She looked up to see night in the sky, stars peppering the black canvas above. But how is that possible? It was just daylight, how could it be…

Then she saw it. She rose to her feet, all the while her eyes were glued to the star that was plummeting from the sky. The star was so dark that it looked almost black, but behind it trailed light, twisting and turning, distorting into a spectrum of purples and oranges. Twilight, she knew. And that was no star. That was dark matter.

The sound of it entering the atmosphere boomed throughout the Rift, dropping Lulu to her knees as she covered her ears. She looked up to see a cloud of dust arise from its impact in mid lane. She had stopped trembling, simply to look on in awe. It was destructive, even more than what she saw that night, Veigar…where was he?

"Move aside, or get trampled on!"

She turned to see Veigar standing behind her.

"Vei…are…are you alright!"

Veigar pushed past her, once again going walking down the stairs of the platform towards his lane. There was not a scratch on him, she noted, and he did not die either. The destruction and force of that spell, and yet, it was controlled so masterfully that the impact didn't affect him. She could never be as strong as him. His back was to her, and, that did not seem likely to ever change. Her chest tightened. He was amazing, he was strong, and she was everything he was not. She looked to him with a longing she could not describe. It was not jealousy, but rather, admiration beyond simple respect.

The match ended soon after. Thanks to Lulu's efforts at keeping Tristana safe, she was able to build up the items she needed to deal damage, and Veigar would obliterate anyone that stood before him. The Veigar's power and Tristana's ability to shred structures, it didn't matter that their top was struggling. In a blitz on the mid lane, they pushed through winning.

Lulu was ecstatic. For at last one moment, she could say that she was by Veigar's side, that she was useful. They worked together to win this match. After they were returned to the platform, she turned to him, beaming. "Veigar!" she ran to him, throwing her arms around him.

"!" They fell to the ground, Lulu was laughing, but the Master of Evil was furious. He pushed her off, climbing to his feet, but Lulu just lay on the ground with a large smile plastered on her face, taking in deep breaths of air, ecstatic. She felt accomplished. But she knew there was still a ways to go. She struggled to her feet as well, but as she turned to Veigar, she could see a ring of magic encircle him as he stood with shut eyes. Teleportation, she knew, the way a champion leaves and enters the platform of the Rift. Her smile weakened, but it did remain. The other champions were also leaving. She should as well, she knew.

All other champions were leaving, except Tristana. Lulu had spent much time in the bottom lane with her so she knew what Tristana was thinking just from her eyes alone. And what she saw within Tristana's eyes made her own grow wide in terror. She was taking aim at Veigar.

The other two champions had already left and Veigar was just about, the teleportation spell winding down off its cast time. Tristana fired her buster shot, but Veigar had no time to react, he was still in the spell cast and it was too late to cancel it.

"VEIGAR!" Lulu waved her staff in a hurried panic, casting a shield around Veigar, but without Pix…

She couldn't tell what had happened. It was too fast to tell, but, in the moment of impact, Veigar was just, gone. He had successfully teleported, but, the shot…did it hit or miss?

Lulu turned to Tristana, fear in her eyes. The Megling Commando stared at her with the cold eyes of a soldier, and although she spoke no words, her eyes conveyed her message.

You were not supposed to be here.

Lulu was shaking from fear, but Tristana made no attempt to keep Lulu from teleporting. She opened her eyes to find herself in her room, back at the institute. She was sweating, her mind was racing, and even though her body ached all over, she ran from her room, ran as fast as she could, through the maze of hallways until she came to the one door that looked like all the others in the uniform hallway. Her chest hurt as she could hear the beating of her heart, the sound pounding vigorously within her head.

She stood before the monstrous door, and then, it was almost as if she was seeing it for the first time all over again. It was huge, gigantic, and she was small and weak. But, Veigar was inside, or at least, she had hoped that he was. She could not keep her hands from trembling, nor could she keep her heart beating harder and faster, but her hand slowly made its way to the handle of the door. She felt pathetic. There was no way she could open the door, she was weak, and she couldn't even do this much. That is, until she tried.

The handle turned slowly, and the door creaked ajar.


	9. The Final Chapter

_**A/N:**_Hello everyone. I began writing this story three months ago, and finally, I have finished it. I wrote this story because I love Lulu and Veigar, and, I wanted to make a more serious and heavy story rather than a cute and fluffy one. And now, it has come to a close. I wanted to take this time before the story to thank all of you, every reader who had the patience to read this all the way through, all those who followed and favorited this story, and all of you who left me reviews. I just want to say, it means a lot and has motivated me to finish this project of mine for all of you. Thank you to all those who have stuck with me, and to my friends who were excited and supported me. I hope you all enjoy Falling Apart, The Final Chapter.

Falling Apart

Chapter Nine

The Final Chapter

The handle turned slowly, and the door creaked ajar.

From within, she could hear groans of pain, but without any light, she could not see. Veigar's eyes would glow within the dark, an eerie yellow that showed his presence, but she could not find them. Just hear him within, gasping for air, moaning in pain and cursing at everything and anything.

"…Veigar?" Her voice came out in a tentative squeak.

And then the shadows shifted. Veigar turned, his eyes blazing from within the black room. His eyes were yellow flame, fueled by pain and anger. His eyes, so wild and vicious, were all that she could see of him, yet she knew that he could see her as clear as day. The realization sent a shiver down her spine.

"You…" His voice was hoarse with an edge as sharp as a dagger, hostile. She felt afraid, the fear within making her hands tremble ever more. Her eyes were wide, her steps hesitant, but slowly, she made her way into the room, approaching the only indication of Veigar that she had, the eyes of a mad beast.

She nodded. Her voice was heavy as she spoke soothingly, but, whether it was meant for him or for her own self, she did know. "Yes, me…I'm here Veigar…"

The yellow fires within flared intensely. "You…you are like them…you want me dead…" His voice was as cold as steel, and the words cut just as deep as shown on Lulu's face.

"What? No, Veigar, I'm here to help you…"

"YOU LIAR! YOU ARE LIKE ALL THE OTHERS!" Veigar collapsed to his hands and knees, coughing up blood. Lulu rushed forward, to his side. His eyes, the fire, his very life seemed to be flickering. Between coughs, he spoke again, though without the same intensity and volume to his voice, his whispered accusations were cold and his voice came out in a savage snarl. "Do it…finish me off…like all the others…all want to kill me…kill the monster…"

Lulu was aghast. She looked to Veigar, tried to reach out, but her hand would not go. He was a broken man, she knew. Why? Why could she not help him? He was right there, right in front of her, why could she not reach him? Was he truly so far gone? Tears welled behind her eyes. She could reach for the handle, able to open that door, that heavy and monstrous door that repelled her weak approaches and left that heavy feeling within her chest. She was able to overcome that, she has been getting stronger with each passing day, but she still could not reach out to him, to Veigar who was before her, finally, after so long.

Her heart beat frantically. This was different, she felt. There was no heavy feeling within, there was a lack of feeling, as if she was weightless, and all that was left within was emptiness. What can she do? She didn't feel weak, she didn't feel the weight. What she felt was worse than that. She felt useless, she felt that there was nothing she could do. Even with her hand outstretched, she could not touch him.

"Veigar…I don't want to hurt you…I want to help…I want to be your friend…"

"My…friend…" Veigar coughed more and more. She could not see him shake uncontrollably. She could not have known what she had done to him. She could not see his downcast eyes, burning the brightest they have ever been. Friend? You have no friends. Your friends abandoned you. Your friends left you for dead.

And then he felt it. A hand upon his cheek, small and soft. He snapped.

His hand flew across Lulu's face with great force, sending the yordle collapsing back against the hard floor. His hands trembled greatly, the cold steal of his gauntlets making his arms to heavy to lift, and so, he sat upon his knees, tears streaming down his face, but he could not feel them. His cheeks were hot, his eyes hotter, and his whole body felt heavy, but within, he felt numb and broken, what little of Veigar that had remained was at its end.

He knew no friends. They all want him dead. He needs no one but himself. He will bring them all down. He will destroy everything.

A crack was heard. Lulu felt as though her heart had shattered and slowly, all the pieces were falling. She lay on the ground, her cheek throbbing with great pain. She lost it. She let it all go, doing little to stop the tears from falling, and doing less to hush her sobbing. She pushed herself up, her head pounding painfully, making her dizzy and nauseous, and her crying did little to help that as well.

She could not see Veigar's eyes. The room was dark once more, but, she could hear him struggle to his feet. On her hands and knees, she crawled slowly, her hand soon finding Veigar's robes. She clenched at them tightly, but, he took no notice. He was facing away from her, staring off to some place that wasn't here, somewhere else. He wasn't here, she knew. Through tears and heavy sobs, she pulled herself up, struggling to her feet, her head spinning wildly.

He was gone. He could feel nothing. It was as if he had accepted his fate. There was once a time where he trusted others, and while he was not the ideal yordle, there was light to him. But then it all changed and his light was soon snuffed, and as the darkness surrounded him, he embraced it, allowing his heart to turn cold, allowing the madness to seep within his mind. Now he felt that he was at the end. It was silent. Where was the voice now? The voice that had once given him strength, gave him a reason to live, the drive to move forward.

Where was that voice now? The voice within?

His body felt warm. Her hands were wrapped around him from behind, and it was then that he heard a voice.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, Veigar…"

Lulu pressed her face into his back, weeping into his robes, unable to hold back. Her arms tightened around him as she kept repeating the same words to him. His arms stopped trembling, stopped shaking, and fell limp to his sides as he stared off into space. He felt nothing but her embrace. There was no pain, no memories, no hate, just nothing but her voice, once so sweet, now stuttering. He was no longer trembling, but he could feel her small body behind him shuddering.

"I don't care who you are…what you are…I don't care if everyone sees you as a monster or a demon, if they see you as evil or insane…we aren't meant to be alone, Veigar…we aren't…I…I want to be with you…I am weak…I am a nuisance…I'll probably just get in your way, but…I want to be by your side…and if not…please…don't be alone…don't ever…we aren't meant to be alone…"

Veigar did not respond, but even still, Lulu kept with her embrace. He did nothing to stop her, and so, she continued to cry.

He could feel tears trailing down his own face, though, he did not know why. He was hurt, he hurt her, and yet, she was here. He hadn't felt this way in a long time, not since the day that his old self perished and was replaced by the person that he was now. But, was he really the same now, or did he change once more?

Lulu's head pounded more and more, her eyes were red, unable to shed anymore tears. Her arms felt heavy. No, her entire body felt heavy. Her arms slowly drifted down to Veigar's waist as she laid her head against him.

After a moment of silence, Lulu broke the peace of the darkness, speaking softly in her sweet and tentative voice. "Are you alright?"

"Mhmm," he replied.

Her hands went to his, carefully removing his gauntlets and letting them fall to the floor. She took his hands into her own, entwining their fingers together. She brought one of his hands to her lips, kissing it softly, her lips felt soft and gentle being pressed against his mangled and ugly hand. "Come on," she said, in a voice so quiet, it sounded almost like a prayer.

She led him to the bed, dragging him beneath the covers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, nestling her face close to his. The two closed their eyes.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but, he felt that it was a lot. His body ached, and he groaned his pain. But then he turned to the figure lying beside him. Some of her purple hair had fallen before her childish face. His hand went to her, moving the hair from her face, and then, he saw what he had done. Her cheek was dark and swollen. He could see her, despite the room being so black, he could see the troubled expression on her face, the way she squirmed slightly in bed as she turned to and fro. His hand went to her bruise, caressing her cheek as gently as he could.

But Veigar did not know gentle, having never been treated in such a way. She whimpered at his lightest touch, at which point, he quickly withdrew his hand. He looked at her with interest and fascination, with new eyes. And then, hers opened, staring into his.

There was pain within those eyes. Trails of tears long dried remained upon her cheek. She held his hand gingerly, and slowly, placed it lightly upon her cheek, the same one that he had struck. She winced slightly, but she held his hand in place, and when she let go, he did not move away, but rather, resumed caressing her face. His hands were ugly and disfigured compared to her own, so small and soft and flawless. But she laid her own lips upon these hands of his, and, she made no attempt at pushing them away. The same hands that struck her, he knew. He looked at them, so gnarled and different. He was not a yordle, but rather, a monster.

She saw this in his eyes eerie light that once threw ferocious fire within this dark room was now dim. She placed her hand upon his cheek as well. She could not see him in the dark, but, she could feel him, feel his face, feel the scars that ran amok upon his features as she traced them with just her fingertips. He did not mind that she felt his scars, not if that is what she wanted to do.

He finally decided to break the silence, speaking in a weak voice rough with pain. "I'm sorry…" was all he said.

She shook her head, speaking in her sweet voice soothingly."Don't be. You don't ever have to apologize to me, Veigar." She winced once more as his fingers stroked her cheek, a soft whimper escaping her lips. But she smiled at him. Her voice was quiet, softer than a whisper, but little more than a prayer. "I want to be there for you…I want to be by your side when you rule the world, when you accomplish your dream…I want to be useful…but all I am is weak…so…if there is anything I could do…anything…I want you to use me however you can…however you want…"

Her smile was one of pain and longing, one that was genuine and humble, one that warmed his heart, one that seemed to lighten this dark room. He groaned from the pain trying to move, but, he made himself move all the same. He could not say I'm sorry. Not anymore. Not to her. He did too much already to her, and no amount of sorries would ever fix that. And yet, she still wanted to be by his side. Why?

We are not supposed to be alone.

Her words echoed within him. He could not say I'm sorry to her anymore, he knew. She deserved better than mere words.

He pressed his lips lightly upon hers.

As they parted, she looked into his yellowed eyes, and he could see her lips open ever slightly, as if she was longing for more. She saw only him.

"Let's leave…its dangerous here…" He honestly did not know where they would go. Anywhere but here, he thought, anywhere. He has enemies here, enemies within the Institute that would have him killed. He knew that even if they left, his enemies would follow, but, he couldn't stay here, not with her. "Please," he whispered, "let's go…"

She nodded, drawing closer to him. She nestled her head into his neck. They had to go, they had to leave, but, he was weak, and, she saw this in his eyes. He didn't know how she could tell, but, he was tired, his eyelids were closing and his entire body was heavy. Sleep washed over him once more, but, not before he wrapped one of his arms around Lulu's shoulder.

He wasn't alone. Not anymore. It was time to begin picking up the pieces.


End file.
